Combination ladder and chute



Nov. 13, 1962 E. A. MARRYATT COMBINATION LADDER AND CHUTE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1962 INVENTOR. 64 4 4. Ner /Arr BY KQ SM 5 rmy/r57 Nov. 13, 1962 E. A. MARRYATT "3,

COMBINATION LADDER AND CHUTE Filed Jan. 8, 1962 .5 Sheets-Sheet '2 HIHI- INVENTOR. [4 4 A. MAIPQMTT 4 Af OQ/YE'Y Nov. 13, '1962 E. A. MARRYATT COMBINATION LADDER AND CHUTE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 8, 1962 I/l/ll/ mg m INVENTOR.

4 5 Arro /vty 3,863,513 COMBINATION LADDER AND CHUTE Earl A. Marryatt, 1530 Demarest Ave., Closter, NJ. Filed Jan. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 164,946 6 Claims. (Cl. 182-21) This invention relates to combination ladders and chutes particularly adapted for seagoing vessels and the like. With seagoing vessels where space is at a premium, the problem of storing chutes for conveying cargo from deck to deck has long been a problem. Various attempts have been made to provide combination ladders and chutes so that one and the same space required for the ladders may also serve for the chutes. Expense is also a factor to be considered.

In view of the foregoing the present invention has for an object to provide an inexpensive combination ladder and chute which can be converted from ladder to chute and vice versa in a minimum period of time, and where the ladder remains intact at all times and merely the chute producing elements moved into and out of chute forming position with the ladder as the base or support.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved combination ladder and chute in which the later remains intact at all times ready for use and the main chute producing element consists of two longitudinally extending panels pivotally connected to the stringers of the ladder to stand erect or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stringers in ladder forming position and to fold on the rungs or steps of the ladder in chute forming position.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages or" the invention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of specific embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the combination ladder and chute in chute forming position of one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 22 of FIG. 1 enlarged with the panels in chute forming position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmental section on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 with one of the panels erect in ladder forming position on the same scale as the scale of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmental perspective showing the hinge plate and panel of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 on a scale slightly larger than the scale of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view still further enlarged in perspective partly broken away of a panel unit, a hinge plate, a supporting angle and hinge pin of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a fragmental side elevation of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 showing the panel in erect position on a scale slightly larger than the scale of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a second embodiment showing a panel, a hinge plate, and its connections in plan view.

FIG. 8 is a fragmental plan view assembled of a panel, hinge plate and connections of the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 inclusive there is shown a combination ladder 1 showing two stringers 2 and 3 which are connected to the cross beam 4 of a seagoing vessel by the links 5 which are pivotally connected to the beam 4 at one end of the links 5 and at the other end of the links 5 pivotally connected to the upper end plates 6 of the stringers 2 and 3. Each of the stringers 2 and 3 have a lower plate 7 at their lower ends. The plates 6 and 7 are connected to one another by spaced apart angle irons 8 and 9. The lower plates 7 when in use as shown in FIG. 1 may be connected to a conveyor 16. The steps or rungs 11 consist essentially of plates 12 having downwardly extending rates Patent 3,063,513 Patented Nov. 13, 1962 flanges 13 on all four sides in the interest of reinforcement.

The side flanges 13 of each step 11 are connected at their rear ends to the lower angle irons 8 and are connected at their front ends to the upper angle irons 9 so that when the stringers 2 and 3 are inclined at about 55 to 62 from the vertical when the lower plates 7 engage the deck or lower floor, the plates 12 of the steps 11 will be substantially horizontal.

On the other hand when it is desired to convert the combination into a chute, then the legs 14, comprising the outer tubular portions 15 telescopically receiving the inner cylindrical portions 16, are connected to the lower angle irons 8 by the pivotal connections 17 between the angle irons 8 and the upper tubular portions 15. The lower cylindrical portions 16 may be anchored to the tubular portions 15 so that they protrude the desired length for the inclination required preferably about 40 to the vertical with the lower ends of the cylindrical portions 16 pivotally connected to the clips 18 secured to the deck or lower floor .19. When the desired length of the legs 14 is attained by moving the tubular portion 15 relative to the tubular portion 16, the leg portions 15 and 16 may be anchored in position 'by the pin 50 extending through an opening at the lower end of the tubular portion 15 and into one of the openings 51 in the cylindrical portion 16.

To the upper angle irons 9 there are pivotally connected the imperforate wings or flaps 20. Each of the free edges of the flaps 20 is reinforced by a strip 21. Each of the inner edges of the flaps 20 is secured to a bracket 22. Each bracket 22 consists essentially of a flange 23 on which a plate 20 is secured, an imperforate flange or upright 24 having a rib 25 at its free end and a flange 26 at its lower end forming a recess 27 with the flange 23 to receive the inner edge of a plate 20. The upright 24 extends substantially vertically to the flange 23. On the side away from the flange 23 but adjacent the flange 23 there is provided a journal 28 having a recess 29, both the journal 28 and the recess 29 running longitudinally of the lower edge of the upright 24. In the production of the brackets 22, the journal 28 is preferably formed the complete length of the bracket 22 and then preparatory to installing the same a portion of the journal 28 at the location selected is cut away to form the space 30 substantially the length of the journal 31 of the hinge plate 32.

The hinge plate 32 consists essentially of a downwardly extending plate portion 33 having at its upper end the journal 3-1 conforming to the journal 28 and supplementing the journal 28 when positioned in the space 30. The plate portion 33 is secured to the inner face of the vertically extending web 34 of an angle iron 9, the journal 31 fitted into the space 30, and then the two pins 35 initially positioned in the journal 28 to either side of the space 30, forced over to extend part way into the chamber of the journal 31 so that the pins 3-5 will bridge the abutting edges between the journal 31 and the opposite portions of the journal 28 as shown in FIG. 4. To minimize the wear on the pins 35 they are preferably encased or enrobed in a phenolic impressed fabric envelope 36.

In the chute formigg position, the wings or flaps 20 are swung down fromerect position onto the edges of the steps 11 with the enlargements 37 engaging the edges of the steps 121,, in the position shown in FIG. 1. On the other hand when the combination is to be used as a ladder, the legs 14 are liberated from the clips 18 and folded under the ladder, then the lower end of the ladder allowed to drop so that it will rest on the edges of the plate 7 engaging the floor or deck 19. Thereupon the wings 20 are raised into erect position and secured in position by the hooks 38 secured to the stanchions 39 fastened on the upper angle irons 9 of the stringers 2 and 3 and extending outwardly or upwardly therefrom as shown in FIG. 1.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 difiers from the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 inclusive primarily in that the journal 40 of FIG. 7 replacing the journal 28 is intact, that is, is not interrupted to form the space 30, that intermediate the hinge plate 41 replacing the hinge plate 32 of FIG. 4 there is formed the connector 42, and in place of the pins 35 of FIG. 4 there is provided a single bearing pin 43.

The connector 42 has a pin forming bearing 44 positioned in the journal with the neck 45 intermediate the journal 46 and the bearing-pin 44. The journal 46 in this embodiment supplements the journals 47, 48 in the hinge plate 41. When assembling the combination, the bearing pin 44 of the connector 42 is first inserted into the journal 40 and then secured in place by any suitable means such as a rivet, bolt, or the set screw 49 shown. Thereupon the hinge plate 41 is positioned so that the chambers of the journals 47 and 48 aline with the chamber of the journal 46, the pin 43 inserted so that it passes through the alined journals 47, 46 and 48 until the head engages the outer edge of the bearing 48. The end of the pin 43 has a hole 53 therein to receive the cotter pin 54, see FIG. 8, to anchor the pin 43 in position.

The second embodiment is more flexible than the first embodiment since the bracket 42 may be shifted to the left or right to any point depending upon the position of the hinge plate 41 which in turn is determined by the clearance in the upper angle iron 9 of the stringer. Furthermore, all of the parts with the second embodiment may be produced in advance and, therefore, it would not be necessary to cut any portion of the bearing 23 such as is necessary with the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, thereby substantially reducing the cost of installation.

Excellent results have been achieved when the journals 28 and 31 of the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, and the journals 47, 46 and 48 of the-second embod.i ment illustrated in FIG. 7 have been constructed intact without the longitudinally extending slot or recess 29 of the journal 28, the slot 55 of-the journal 31, the slots '56 of the journals 47 and 48, and the slot 57 of the journal 46,

It is obvious that various changes and modifications I may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set 'forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a combination ladder and chute, the combination of a ladder having stringers and steps, two imperforate wings extending'longitudinally of the ladder, pivotal con nections connecting one longitudinal edge of each wing to the inside upper end of a stringer enabling the wings to beheld upright in ladder'forming position and to be swung down toward one another upon said steps in chute forming position, said wings in .width being substantially one-half the width of each step to supplement one another in chute forming position and presenting an upper face that is substantially a common plane as the article carrying face of the wings in chute forming position, said connections each consisting of hinge plates secured to a stringer and having pin receiving journals at their upper ends, pin receiving journals on the outer edges of said wings to register with the journals on said hinge plates, and pins extending throughsaid registering journals, the journals on said hinge plates and wings having longitudinally extending slots, said slots aifording access to said pins and enabling the positioning of said pins through said slots.

2. The combination asset forth in claim 1 in which imper-forate flanges extend at right angles to said wings at the outer edgesto form guides when said wings are in chute forming position to confine articles carried by said wings against displacement from said wings.

3. In a combination ladder and chute, the combination of a ladder having two stringers and steps rigidly secured to said stringers, two imperforate wings extending longitudinally of the ladder, pivotal connections connecting the inner upper end of each of the stringers to one of said wings enabling the wings to be held upright in ladder forming position and to be swung down toward one another upon said steps in chute forming position, said wings in width being substantially one-half the width of each step to supplement one another in chute forming position and presenting an upper face that is substantially a common plane as the article carrying face of the wings in chute forming position, said connections consisting of hinge plates secured to said stringers having first pin receiving journals at their upper ends, second pin receiving journals to register with said first pin receiving journals on said hinge plates, first pins extending through said registering journals to form a hinge between said second pin receiving journals and said first pin receiving journals, and means connecting said pin receiving journals to the outer edges of said wings, said first and second pin receiving journals having longitudinally extending slots to afiord access to said pins in said journal in turn to enable positioning said pins through said longitudinally extending slots.

4. The combination of a first frame portion and a second frame portion, and a hinge for connecting the two frame portions to one another, said hinge consisting of a slotted pin receiving journal extending the full length of said first frame portion, a plurality of pin receiving journals on said second frame portion, a connector including a pin forming bearing, a pin forming journal, and a diminished neck intermediate said pin forming bearing and said latter pin forming journal, said pin forming bearing positioned in the slotted pin forming journal, said pin forming journal of said connector alined with the pin forming journals of said second frame portion, a pin extending through the alined pin forming journals of said second frame portions and the pin forming journal of said connector, and a securing means connecting said pin forming bearing to said slotted pin forming journal.

5. In a combination ladder and chute, the combination of a ladder having two stringers and steps rigidly secured to said stringers, two wings extending longitudinally of the ladder, pivotal connections connecting the inner upper end of each of the stringers to one of said wings enabling the wings to be held upright in ladder forming position and to be swungdown upon said steps in chute forming position, said connections consisting of hinge plates secured to said stringers having first pin receiving journals at their upperends, second pin receiving journals to register with said first pin receiving journals on said hinge plates, first pins extending through said registering journals to form a'hinge between said second pin receiving journals and said first pin receiving journals, means connecting said pin receiving journals to the outer edges of said wings, said means consisting in third pin receiving.

journals on the outer edges of said wings, and second pins connected to said second pin receiving journals, and means for anchoring said second pins in said third pin receiving journals.

6.1m a combination ladder and chute, the combination of a ladder having two stringers and steps rigidly secured to said stringers, two wings extending longitudinally of the ladder, pivotal connections connecting the inner upper end of each of the stringers to one of said wings enabling the wings to be held upright in ladder forming position and to be swung down upon said steps in chute forming position, said connections consisting of hinge plates secured to said stringers having first pin receiving journals at their upper ends, second pin receiving journals to register with said first pin receiving journals on 5 said hinge plates, first pins extending through said registering journals to form a hinge between said second pin receiving journals and said first pin receiving journals, means connecting said pin receiving journals to the outer edges of said wings, said means consisting in third pin 5 receiving journals on the outer edges of said wings, and second pins connected to said second pin receiving journals, and set screws for anchoring said second pins in said third pin receiving journals.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cannon Jan. 13, 1903 Naekel Feb. 5, 1952 Lewis Oct. 6, 1959 Leverett Mar. 27, 1962 

